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Thanks so much for your support and have a great week. Remember to stay inspired and to follow your bliss!

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We all have dreams and aspirations. Sometimes we forget them along the way, sometimes old dreams are replaced with new ones as we grow as people. Sometimes our dreams are crushed under the wicked boot heel of that bitch we call reality… or by mean spirited people who play a role in our lives. Sometimes though, I think we just lose our way and forget our dreams as we get so caught up in the daily grind of our lives. The hamster wheel called survival turns on it’s axle and we get caught up in the Groundhog Dayness of it all until one day we wake up, or don’t, and ask ourselves where we lost sight of our dreams. Sometimes even I, the glass half full girl, has days like that. Other days I’m just insanely grateful for what I have and I count my blessings and my lucky stars.

Occasionally though, I sit down and do a dream achievement inventory. There are some things I’d still like to achieve and the fun part is trying to figure out how. When I can’t see a direct route, I set the intention that I’d like to achieve it and then I start taking little steps towards realizing that dream. It’s been surprisingly effective and I owe the publication of three book titles to this technique. Even though I was told by my family that it was a pipe dream I’d never realize, I set my mind to the task and I wrote my book, regardless of evidence to the contrary.

Needless to say, no one was prouder when I announced that my writings were available in paperback than the very nay sayers who poopooed my dream in the first place. In a strange way I think their attitude actually encouraged me to do it, just to prove them wrong. Don’t give up on your dreams, when you face obstacles, just keep going. Successful people are successful because they never gave up, no matter how many times they faced defeat.

I am luckier than most. I am surrounded by loving support. Just know that you are capable of achieving anything you set your mind to. Kick that hamster wheel over and look out beyond your cage. Your dream is out there, waiting for you to achieve it.

two posts today, evidently I am on a roll. Never one for flooding your inbox, I did however feel quite inspired when I saw this post on Facebook several days ago. I tried to imagine a world where we did not teach children to be racist or prejudiced. The more I thought about it the sadder I felt that we do this in all cultures across the globe. In my humble opinion, prejudice and racism are diseases found almost everywhere and it seems such a waste of energy that could be better spent in the pursuit of happiness. Just recently I saw the proposed International Flag of Planet Earth.

If only it were true, if only we were united as one people. Mankind is a particularly incredible species and I can only imagine a world where we are united under one flag, all working together, like in Star Trek… going where no man has gone before. Imagine no war, no petty squabbles, no abuse, racism or prejudice, just a global network of like-minded brothers and sisters all working to make our home, Planet Earth, a better place for every citizen. A place where we celebrate our differences, for our uniqueness is what makes each individual suited to their particular goal in life. They want space travellers to use this flag to represent Earth, but what would it be like if each person actually took this idea to heart?

None of us are responsible for what our forefathers did to one another in the past, that “sins of the father visited down upon the sons” tradition is one that we can all change. I’d like to perpetuate the dream of beginning anew and becoming a citizen of Planet Earth, all of us under one banner, sharing one planet for the good of all. It only takes a single seed, a single kind deed to change our present and our future. The past is in the past, so let’s work on leaving it there and focus instead on the now. You can only control your own actions, your own thoughts and deeds as a member of the brotherhood of man.

That is something I’d like to aspire to, in my own small way. We all can, all we have to do is believe that we can change and then, like the Nike slogan says, just do it.

Crude scribbler of base words, crude bearer of rusted swords, smite me with a mighty blow, yet think of all the things ye’d want to know before my last breath expires. Secrets grand that lay beyond death’s gate, secrets made of death and hate, lust and fate, emptiness and the sins of the great.

Paint me a song, with artist’s brush and writer’s quill, paint it with light and shadow, if ye will. Inspiration is a slavish devotion, it cares not for appearances, it will sip from thy soul, it will sup from thy spirit and leave thee sated with it.

Drink now from the chalice that is me, speak now thy own thoughts as from the heart they do rise, like stars in velvety night skies. Inspiration, a favoured lover, a new light to discover, like a vast landscape painted in hues of love and devotion, draped upon the mind’s eye like silver upon the ocean.

From the dust I shall rise, a creature but a moment away from a certain demise, look but closely and ye’ll see the truth in my eyes. Secrets locked dark and deep, secrets not whispered, even in the velvety realm of sleep. Smite me now and they shall fade away, never to see the light of another dawning day.

Crude scribbler, rude warrior, thief of treasure beyond truth’s measure, steal the essence of me and it is only blackness that ye will see. A beating heart, a soul that sings of glory and the rediscovery of ancient things. Archaic tale, forgotten vale, dance of stars across night’s veil, these things will be lost to thee, if ye choose to smite me.

Thrust aside thy crude sword, swallow thy knavish words and let me be. I am not a creature of this world, though it does not make me immune to thy sword. I may still bleed at the touch of steel, I am not of here, but still, I am quite real. I am as a songbird that to the moon her sweet song sings, a teller of ancient tales that to ancient truths bear subtle answering.

I beg of thee, do not steal the essence that is me. Crude scribbler, rude warrior, thief of sacred things that once stolen may never be returned, spirit lost upon a foul wind, nothing by this act is gained! Leave me be, I’ll not challenge thee, I wish only to be free of thy malice and fear, a spirit that to the moon her song sings, a creature not of here, but a creature that no longer feels thy fear.

Have a brilliant week and wherever you are in the world, may you be inspired to be the best you that you can be.

Our minds are memory banks for two sorts of experiences, positive and negative. What is your happiest memory? Your most touching moment? What was one event in your life that brought you an overwhelming feeling of joy and gratitude or pride in an achievement? How do these things make you feel when you recall them? Now recall one of your saddest memories, or a moment when you were really angry or felt defeated, rejected or just plain hurt? How do those memories make you feel? Which set of memories made you feel good and which ones made you feel bad? Which do you prefer recollecting? Hmm.

Now take a second to think about your general self-talk, that inner dialogue that whirls around in your head all day. Positive or negative? Do you realize the incredible power that lays within your mind, yourself, to choose how you feel every single waking moment? It struck me some time ago that by eliminating negative people from my life I eliminated all the emotional baggage and drama that they brought with them through my door each time I had contact with them. I am sure we all have people like this in our lives. People who are emotional vampires, who suck the joy out of our lives, who spread their angst and misery with them wherever they go, always playing the victim, always vomiting their drama into the foyer of our lives.

We patiently play the role of supportive friend, patting their backs as they weep over their latest follies or as they drone on endlessly about this abusive person or that unsolvable problem, or worse, they inflict subtle emotional torture on us. They never stop to think for a moment how their actions affect those around them. They’ll emotionally abuse you and dump all over you and you’ll excuse their bad behaviour repeatedly… They’re going through a breakup, a divorce, a bad day at the office, a personality disorder, PMS, a broken toe, an addiction.

Think about the people in your life who make you happy, who lift you up, support you, care about you, cheer you on during a challenge or project. The people who will answer their phone or door to you at 2am if you need a friend to talk to or will be there to help you if your car breaks down on the highway. I’m sure there are people in your life who when you leave their company you leave happy and smiling and had a good time with them.

Now think about your collection of people who when you leave their company you feel exhausted, emotionally depleted, worried, concerned, angry, sad, insulted, confused and whatever other negative emotion comes to mind. I’m not talking about a once off, but people who repeatedly, continuously leave you feeling negative after you’ve been in their company. Who’s company do you prefer? Hmm. Now ask yourself why the hell you do it to yourself? If you have the power to choose who you spend your time with, will you not consciously choose to put more effort into the positive relationships and just simply cut out the negative ones? Imagine that life and how nice it would be to just be surrounded with the positive people that you allow in, that you choose to spend your time with. Ah, bliss.

Several years ago I had occasion to evaluate all the relationships in my life and this concept struck me quite powerfully. Why on God’s green earth was I making an effort to spend time with people who made me feel crappy whenever I left their company? I’d call them up, make plans to see them, and when I left I felt hurt and confused, as though I needed to somehow seek their approval and wasn’t making some sort of indefinable grade that that they’d set for me. I’d endure veiled insults and aspersions and on the drive home I’d find myself wondering what they’d meant when they’d said that, or if I’d somehow misinterpreted something, but that feeling in the pit of my stomach was uncomfortable and unwanted and overwhelmingly negative. I’d lay awake at night fretting and trying to figure out how to make amends for some imperceivable infraction I must have made…

One day I just adopted that brilliant Indian philosophy I happened upon amongst the nuggets of wisdom that are often scattered on my Facebook page. Fuck it. Fuck them and fuck this. I chose the positive relationships in my life and I surgically removed the negative ones. I can’t tell you how odd it is to not find myself worrying over this or that person’s self-inflicted drama or relaying a negative experience I had with so-and-so to my good friends. I admit I think I was oddly addicted to it. The lost causes, the birds with the broken wings, the problem friends who always asked for advice and then never took it, making one bad decision after another. It’s all gone and the void where all that was is now filled with peace and contentment. I’ll admit I was a slow learner on this one. In my bid to always be a good person, to be forgiving of others faults, I forgot that there is always a choice in the company you keep and the people you allow into your inner circle. Examine your frenemies, examine your toxic relationships and ask yourself why you keep in contact with the negative people when you could rather spend time with the positive, uplifting people in your life.

I did and it has made a world of difference. Occasionally I’ll remember them, and even miss them, but then I consciously turn my thoughts to the great people who I consciously willed into my life. Believe me, when you choose to surround yourself with positive people it’s like watering a flower bed, suddenly all these amazing people pop up in your life. On that note, dear reader, hopefully I’ve left you with some food for thought. I know we can’t avoid every negative so-and-so on the planet. We have to go to work and the workplace is often filled with negative people you would never choose to associate with in the normal course of your day, but again, it is your choice to engage them or to push them to the periphery. Just smile and gravitate towards the positive people in the office and when in doubt, remember that brilliant Indian philosophy I mentioned earlier. Fuck it.